Ebola

Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genusEbolavirus. There are five identified Ebolavirus species, four of which have caused disease in humans: Zaire ebolavirus; Sudan ebolavirus; Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus; and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The fifth, Reston ebolavirus, has caused disease in nonhuman primates but not in humans.

Ebola is found in several African countries. The first Ebola species was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

The natural reservoir host of Ebola remains unknown. However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne with bats being the most likely reservoir. Four of the five subtypes occur in an animal host native to Africa.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to learn more about Ebola:

This instruction provides policy and guidance for the Services in the conduct of 21-day controlled monitoring of Service members and volunteering DoD civilian employees returning from the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak area in West Africa.

The President and the Secretary of Defense have called upon the men and women of the US armed forces and other government personnel to provide critical support as part of the international response to the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa. This Fact Sheet highlights the actions that are in place prior to, during, and after deployment in order to protect ...

Department of Defense (DoD) personnel (Service members and civilian employees)deployed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined Ebola outbreak areas will complete pre and post-deployment screening and training requirements outlined in this memorandum and supplemented by United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) guidance.

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